Four days after their dramatic 3-2 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Toto Cup final—the club's first major piece of silverware since 2012—Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv returns to league action. The Reds host Maccabi Haifa tonight at Bloomfield Stadium for Matchday 9 of the Winner League in a clash between second and fourth in the table. Ahead of kickoff, we have gathered the current form, table standings leading into the round, match officials, and full head-to-head history between the two clubs in the league.
Trophy in the Cabinet, Five Consecutive Wins
This past Thursday at Bloomfield, Hapoel defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-2 in the Toto Cup final to lift the trophy. Roei Alkokin put the Reds ahead in the 18th minute, Omri Altman doubled from the penalty spot in the 78th minute, and Daniel Dapaah netted the third in the 83rd minute. It marked Hapoel Tel Aviv's first major title since winning the State Cup in 2012.
In league play, the Reds are riding a four-match winning streak: 3-0 over Hapoel Petah Tikva, 3-1 over Ironi Kiryat Shmona, 1-0 over Ironi Tiberias, and 3-0 over Hapoel Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium, with goals courtesy of Dapaah (42'), Altman (53'), and Alkokin (65'). Combined with the cup triumph, it marks five consecutive victories across all competitions, during which the team conceded just three goals.
Across four home league matches this season, the squad has registered a perfect record of four wins, scoring 11 goals and conceding zero (3-0 over Beitar Jerusalem, 4-0 over Hapoel Ramat Gan, 3-0 over Hapoel Petah Tikva, and 1-0 over Ironi Tiberias). Away from home in the league, Hapoel has recorded two wins, one draw, and one defeat.
Table Standings Ahead of Matchday 9
Hapoel Tel Aviv: Sits second in the table with 19 points out of a possible 24, trailing Maccabi Tel Aviv by a single point and level on points with Hapoel Be'er Sheva, who sits behind on goal difference. The goal tally stands at 18:5 (+13)—the league's best defense with only 5 goals conceded. The Reds have recorded six victories, one draw (0-0 at Hapoel Haifa), and a single defeat (4-1 in the derby) so far.
Maccabi Haifa: Occupies fourth place in the table with 18 points, following six wins and two defeats across the opening eight rounds, holding a 20:14 goal tally (+6).
Top of the Table: Maccabi Tel Aviv (20 points), Hapoel Tel Aviv (19), Hapoel Be'er Sheva (19), Maccabi Haifa (18), and Beitar Jerusalem (16).
Match Information
Date & Time: Monday, November 2, 2026, 20:30
Competition: Winner League, Matchday 9
Venue: Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv (Home Match)
Referee: Gal Leibovich
Assistant Referees: Matti Yakobov, Dor Medina
Video Assistant Referees (VAR): Daniel Bar Natan, Rafael Geva
Fourth Official: Aviad Shiloach Yahav-Chai
Broadcaster: Sport 5 HD
Referee Gal Leibovich and the Head-to-Head League Record
The match will be officiated by referee Gal Leibovich, alongside VAR officials Daniel Bar Natan and Rafael Geva. This marks Hapoel Tel Aviv's 22nd league match under Leibovich's whistle. Across the previous 21 league matches, the Reds registered nine wins, two draws, and 10 defeats, with a 22:33 goal record. Across all competitions, including cup matches, Leibovich has refereed Hapoel in 24 fixtures: 9 wins, 2 draws, and 13 defeats, with a 23:43 goal tally.
Against Haifa, Leibovich has refereed Hapoel twice: a 2-1 away victory in the championship playoff in May 2020, and a 2-0 away defeat in the Toto Cup in August 2021. The last time he officiated the Reds resulted in a 3-2 victory over Beitar Jerusalem at Bloomfield on September 15, 2025.
History Speaks: The League Record
Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa have met 158 times in top-flight league history, dating back to their first encounter on December 11, 1931 in Tel Aviv, which ended in a 5-2 victory for Hapoel featuring braces from Amnon Harlap and Mordechai Meir.
Overall League Record: 44 wins for Hapoel Tel Aviv, 42 draws, and 72 wins for Maccabi Haifa. The league goal tally stands at 192:222 in favor of Maccabi Haifa.
Home League Record: In 78 home league matches against Maccabi Haifa, the record stands at 31 wins for Hapoel Tel Aviv, 19 draws, and 28 defeats, with a 120:95 goal tally in favor of the Reds.
Across All Competitions: Including 16 meetings in the State Cup and 14 in the Toto Cup, the clubs have met in 198 official matches: 55 wins for Hapoel, 55 draws, and 88 defeats, with a 256:275 goal tally in favor of Haifa.
Biggest Victory: A 12-1 triumph in the State Cup on January 23, 1937. The biggest league victory: 5-0 in Tel Aviv on December 17, 1949.
Last Encounter at Bloomfield: On April 29, 2026—a 4-0 victory featuring braces from Omri Altman (67', 70') and Loizos Loizou (41', 74'). Three weeks prior, on April 6, Hapoel secured a 2-0 win at Bloomfield, with goals from Stav Toriel (63' pen) and Loizos Loizou (89' pen).
Last Meeting Between the Sides: On May 19, 2026 at Sammy Ofer Stadium—a 4-1 defeat (Hapoel's goal scored by Xande Silva, 24').
Streak: Hapoel is unbeaten against Haifa in their last three home encounters (0-0 in December 2023, 2-0 and 4-0 in April 2026). The first home league win over Haifa since March 2014 came on April 6, 2026, ending an 11-match home league winless run (nine defeats and two draws). Away from home, the Reds are winless in their last eight encounters.
Numbers from the Past in the League
All-Time League Appearances: Yigal Antebi leads Hapoel Tel Aviv’s appearance chart in league matches against Maccabi Haifa with 33 appearances. He is followed by Shavit Elimelech with 29, Salim Tuama with 26, Shai Abutbul with 25, and Shimon Gershon with 24 appearances.
All-Time League Top Scorers: Yehoshua Feigenbaum leads with 12 league goals against Maccabi Haifa. He is followed by Yehezkel Chazom with 9, and Haim Glazer, Omer Damari, and Rehavia Rosenbaum with 5 each. Across all competitions, Feigenbaum leads with 12 goals, followed by Chazom (11), and Amnon Harlap and Rehavia Rosenbaum (7 each).
From the Current Squad: Omri Altman leads active squad members with 3 goals against Haifa, all in league play—two of which came in the 4-0 victory this past April. Stav Toriel and Roy Korine have scored one goal each.